After more then a month of back and forth discussion and debate not only in this small town but across the US the Gorham Town Board voted unanimously Wednesday night to adopt a one year moratorium on new dog breeding and dog kennel facilities. This is a huge win for those would do not want a Puppy Mill in their town and could be the first of many towns and cities around the country to speak up and say we want to look into allowing you to open. It is believed that during this year the Gorham Town Board will look into creating building codes aimed at ensuring the health and well-being of all dogs in any large kennels will be the first priority.
The town supervisor said current town regulations did not address large scale dog facilities and as many of you might already know there is a proposal to open a large kennel which under current building codes would be little more then a Puppy Mill with over a hundred dogs of breeding age inside the facility in town at any time.
One of the public hearings earlier this month about the proposed facility brought our more than 100 people in this small town. Many residents voiced concerns about safety for the dogs and the environmental impact a large dog breeding facility would have on the town. They have also become aware of the many violations and the state of the dogs in other facilities the man who has applied for the permit has received and do not believe his bid for the current location in Gorham, NY would be a facility any different from those he has owned in the past. With the moratorium in place law makers now have a set amount of time in order to work with other more knowledgeable agencies to put laws in place that would effectively make trying to own a Puppy Mill in the town impossible because of the amount of space that must be provided to each dog, the use and proximity of fresh water for the dogs to drink and to clean with.
Other cities, towns, and municipalities are looking to Gorham to set a new standard in zoning and building code law for potential Large Kennel facilities. Only time will tell but hopefully this marks the beginning of the end to the Puppy Mill in the US.
It’s about time that we take a stand against puppy mills. I hope other town follow suit, SOON.